Lincoln International Opens Office in Tokyo, Hires Tetsuya Fujii as Managing Director to Lead Tokyo Office

TOKYO, JULY 25, 2008 – Lincoln International, a leading global mid-market investment bank, announced today that it has opened an office in Tokyo, Japan. The organization also has three offices in North America (Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York) and five offices in Europe (Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris and Vienna). Tetsuya Fujii has been hired as a Managing Director to lead the new office.

Lincoln International’s Tokyo team will provide merger and acquisition advisory services to Japanese corporations that are focused on cross-border business development, primarily acquisitions. The Tokyo-based team will also identify and contact potential Japanese acquirers for North American and European sell-side assignments being executed by Lincoln International’s North American and European offices. On a case-by-case basis the Tokyo team will work on out-in (foreign company buying or investing in a Japanese company) as well as in-in (domestic) transactions.

Lincoln International offers a unique, differentiated service to Japanese clients. The Tokyo office of Lincoln International provides an enthusiastic and intense focus on completing mid-market transactions in combination with very active M&A practices in both North America and Europe. International investment banks lack enthusiasm and focus for mid-market transactions and virtually all mid-market firms lack the global resources and industry expertise of Lincoln International. Because close to 90% of Japanese M&A transactions are mid-market in size, Lincoln International is positioned to provide significant value added assistance to Japanese companies.

The Tokyo office will be led by Managing Director Tetsuya Fujii. Prior to joining Lincoln International, Fujii served as a Senior Vice President, M&A Group, in the Investment Banking Division of Lehman Brothers’ Tokyo office. He also worked for Deutsche Securities as a Director, Mergers & Acquisitions of the firm’s Global Banking Group. Prior to Deutsche, Fujii spent four years at Credit Suisse First Boston, eventually serving as Director and Acting Head of Japan M&A. Fujii began his career in 1989 at The Long Term Credit Bank of Japan (“LTCB”), where he advanced in his ten-year tenure to Vice President, US Corporate Finance in the firm’s Chicago office and acted as a liaison for the firm’s Tokyo M&A Group. Fujii graduated from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, Japan and received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, USA.

Lincoln International’s founders and senior management have had significant prior association with prestigious Japanese institutions in the 1990’s, and have developed an understanding of the Japanese market and culture as a result. During his time at LTCB, Fujii worked with Jim Lawson, Co-Chairman, and Rob Barr, President-North America. Prior to starting Lincoln Partners, now Lincoln International in 1996, Lawson and Barr had worked for Peers & Co., an M&A advisory firm which was acquired by LTCB. This history will help to facilitate the smooth integration of the Tokyo office into the Lincoln International platform.

In addition, John Herrmann, Vice Chairman – North America based in the firm’s New York office, started and led for a number of years the international M&A boutique investment bank, The Bridgeford Group. Bridgeford was established in September 1990 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Industrial Bank of Japan (“IBJ”) – a predecessor of Bridgeford’s current owner, Mizuho Financial Group. Herrmann will work closely with the Tokyo office and will be Chairman of Lincoln International – Japan.

Fujii will be also be joined by Tokyo-based senior M&A bankers from major international investment banks, as well as additional bankers seconded from Lincoln International’s U.S. and European offices. Currently, Lincoln International has more than 100 M&A bankers, with almost 50 in Europe and more than 60 in North America, as well as strong strategic partners in China and India.

“Lincoln International’s fully-integrated global platform is unique to the mid-market and exactly what Japanese firms need as they increase focus on cross-border M&A business development,” said Fujii. “Lincoln not only has impressive global reach, but many of their investment bankers have deep expertise within specific industry sectors.”

Jim Lawson, Co-Chairman of Lincoln International based in Chicago, will be actively involved in ensuring a successful launch of the Tokyo office. Lawson stated, “Japan is home to many progressive and well financed companies. All indications are that the volume of cross-border deals involving Japanese companies will increase significantly over the next several years. We think the timing of opening an office in Japan is excellent.”

Hans Peter Peters, Co-Chairman of Lincoln International based in Frankfurt, said, “Japan is a leading global economy. Having a local presence, capability, and contact base in Japan is essential to realizing our vision of being the best mid-market M&A advisory firm in the world.”

About Lincoln International

Lincoln International specializes in merger and acquisition services, private capital raising, UK pensions advisory and providing fairness opinions and valuations for leading organizations involved in mid-market transactions. With offices in Chicago, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Vienna and strategic partnerships with China Everbright and other partner firms in Asia, Lincoln International has strong local knowledge and contacts in the key global economies. The organization provides clients with senior-level attention, in-depth industry expertise and integrated resources. By being focused and independent, Lincoln International serves its clients without conflicts of interest. More information about Lincoln International can be obtained at www.lincolninternational.com.